Transformed
by Bluetech
Summary: Jewel is prepared to move on with her life in Blu's absence, since her children still rely on her. She will soon discover that things are not always as they seem. As Blu is reawakened, he discovers that his death has changed him, in more ways than one...
1. Remembrance

I, WolfOnFyre, present to you...my third Rio Fanfiction!

This is a sequel to The Betrayal, for those of you who have read it.

This is probably going to be the most exciting story I will ever write!

*Disclaimer: Rio and all of its characters belong to Blue Sky Studios. I do, however, own a few OC's.*

Please review when you finish! I will proably be updating daily, so this is just the beginning!

Theme Song: Skillet-Monster

~Until Tomorrow, Wolf Out!~

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><p><em>Prologue: As the family and friends of Blu accept his loss, they realize it will take time to adjust.<em>

_However, things will soon be looking up for them._

_In a shadowed part of the jungle, a certain macaw is stirring. As Blu realizes he has been spared, what he discovers will change his own life, and the lives of everyone around him._

_The changes that have affected him as a result of his revival will force him to accept the new creature he has become..._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Remembrance<strong>

The four macaws and the viper gave half-hearted smiles as Jewel landed in the hollow. However, she just shambled over and embraced her three children, bursting into tears.

All three macaws asked, "M-Mama, where is Papa? Why isn't he with y-you?"

Jewel could hardly speak the next words: "_Seu pai não vai voltar..._"

Her children stared at her in disbelief. "What do you m-mean he's not coming b-back? Does t-that mean he is..."

"Y-yes! _Ele está morto. Sinto muito..._"

Esperanza shouted, "No, mother! He can't be dead! He will come back!"

She let go of her mother, and sobbing visibly, she turned and faced the viper. "Y-you said h-he was okay! You lied! You k-killed him..."

Riphate could not believe that her father had succumbed to such a small amount of venom. It was simply not possible. He was in near perfect health!

"I gave him the ssssmallest amount possssible! Any lessss than that would have been a dry bite! I don't know how it could have killed him..."

The six creatures suddenly felt as though the air had been sucked from the hollow.

Jewel's father went up to her and hugged her. "I-I am so sorry, daughter. He was a fine mate, and a loving father. You know as well as I that he will be missed. But on top of that, he will be remembered..."

Jewel sniffled and gazed at her father. "I-I guess you are right. I will try to be the best mother that I can, in his absence. That is w-what he would have wanted."

"I feel that is true. But don't worry, Jewel. I don't doubt that you have always been a fine mother for your children, and that will never change."

"Thank you, father. But what a-are we going to do with..."

"I think that Blu needs a proper burial. We should arrange the funeral as soon as possible."

Jewel merely nodded and went to her corner of the hollow with her children.

"Jewel, I will go and bring Blu's...body from the other side of the jungle. You can start gathering the flowers for his grave. I will return as quickly as I can."

As he made his way towards the exit, Jewel stopped him.

"Father, I am g-going to go tell our f-friends. They have to know about Blu's...death, and the funeral." Her father replied sullenly, "Okay, daughter. But be careful."

She then turned to her children and said, "Vicente, Ricardo, Esperanza, you n-need to go out and g-gather as many flowers as you can."

They nodded dejectedly and watched their mother accompany her father to the exit.

The two macaws launched themselves into the chilly atmosphere. They went their separate ways, Vicente heading straight from the hollow, while Jewel peeled off to the west.

As they vanished from sight, Jewel's children did the same, slowly flying back and forth across the jungle in their search for the flowers.

The heavy gray cloud cover did not help ease Jewel's mood as she flew slowly towards the home home of her toucan friends. To her, it was a mirror of sorts, for it reflected the image of her soul.

It was also as if the newly healed hole in her chest had allowed her soul to be flung across the vast expanse of sky above.

As she neared the stubby tree that they inhabited, she glanced down at the ground below. Rafael and Eva were standing on the ground, and Pedro and Nico were with them as well.

Jewel went into a quick dive and alighted on the leafy floor a few feet away.

"Hey, it's our old friend Jewel! Me and Nico was wonderin' were you been all this time! How's life been treating you?"

Jewel took a long time to reply, and the smiles on the others' faces vanished.

Shel stared at the ground, drew a deep breath, and muttered, "I don't know how to describe how weak I feel. It's because...my mate...is dead."

The four other birds could not believe what she had said. They all wondered if something had gone awry with their hearing.

Rafael said, "C-could you repeat that, Jewel? I think I heard you wrong."

"You didn't. Blu...is gone. Forever."

Pedro shouted, "W-what! When? How?"

"We went to go visit a new neighbor, and she trapped us in her hollow. She ordered a s-snake to keep us f-from escaping, and when Blu tried to get away, he w-was bitten. He went unconscious, a-and he never woke u-up..."

Eva began crying, and she said, "That is...horrible! I cannot express how sad I am, Jewel. I thought that you and Blu would live long lives together. Why did this have to happen!"

Jewel did not reply. Rafael approached her and asked, "A-are you going to have a funeral?"

"Y-yes. My father went to bring Blu back to our home. My children went to gather the f-flowers. We should be having it later today..."

Rafael nodded and returned to his sobbing wife. "Eva, we are going to go to Blu's funeral. That is, if you want to go..."

"Of course *sniff* I will go. How could you expect me not to. Blu was so dear to me..."

Pedro and Nico walked up to Jewel and said, "We will come too. It would be a disgrace for us not to."

"That would be so nice. Thank you so much. You guys are the best..."

"Hey, it's what we are here for. We will help you get through this. It will be okay. We are going to bring some guests to the funeral, and we will meet you there when it starts. Bye, Jewel."

She watched as the canary and cardinal flew off into the jungle soon fading from sight. Jewel turned to the toucans and said, "I-I am going back home now. I need to help set the funeral up."

"Okay, Jewel. We will be there. Don't worry."

She lifted off and left the two toucans behind, heading straight back to her nest. _I wonder who Nico and Pedro will be bringing? I guess I will just have to wait and find out..._

Nico and Pedro flew languidly through the Sanctuary, finally finding an exit hole and slipping through it. They trekked across the oddly quiet city, finally arriving at their destination: The Palm.

They landed just outside of its walls, and they heard nothing but silence once again. "Are you sure the club ain't closed, Nico?"

"I hope it isn't. We have to do this, for Jewel."

They entered the club, and they were relieved to see that it was fairly packed with birds of all kinds. The DJ was not at his booth, so they figured he was taking a break between songs.

They flew up to the stage and passed through the rear curtain, looking around for Kipo. They spotted a large shadow just ahead, and they called his name.

He came around the corner and looked down at them, smiling. "Hey, boys! Back for another performance?"

The two birds frowned and replied, "No. We came to gather some birds for a...funeral."

"Oh. I am sorry to hear that. Who is it for?" "It's...it's for...Blu."

His eyes widened in response. "Oh my word! I didn't know he was dead. How tragic! Jewel must be in pieces."

"Isn't it. We just found out a little while ago. Can we announce it to the club?"

"By all means, go ahead. Oh, and I will probably be at the funeral. Blu was like a brother to me. The way the club went crazy when he danced...I will never forget him."

"Cool, bro. The funeral will be later today, so just come whenever you can, okay?"

"Will do, boys."

The two birds passed through the curtain and re-emerged on the stage. Pedro moved forward and said, "Attention, ya'll. Me and Nico got some news to announce about a certain macaw you may know. His name is Blu."

With that, most of the birds grew excited and anxious to hear the news about this famous macaw.

One bird asked, "Well? Is he coming here to perform? He is so awesome!" Another bird added, "What about his mate? She is the best singer that I have heard so far!"

Nico shouted, "No. He is not coming, and neither is Jewel. A terrible tragedy has occurred."

The club was instantly silenced, and the room grew tense. "We have just learned that Blu, this club's famous performer, is...dead."

The club erupted in into shouts of disbelief. "What?" "When did this happen?" "This can't be true!"

Pedro declared, "It is true. His mate came and told us a short while ago. She is preparing the funeral as we speak. We would like to ask you all if you could come to the funeral. Me and Pedro know how much of an icon Blu was to you all."

"Oh, my. This is so sad." "I will go. It's the best I can do." "Yeah. I will come too..." Pretty soon, it sounded as though the whole club was going to attend the funeral of their former star, Blu.

One bird shouted, "Should we bring anything?" Like flowers or, or, something?"

Nico replied, "You can bring flowers, if you want to. It is not mandatory, but it is a show of respect."

"In that case, I will bring some flowers." "Me too." "So will I."

Pedro said, "The funeral should begin in a few hours. It will be at the Blu Bird Sanctuary. Once you get there, look for a small clearing with a cannonball tree in the middle. That is where he will be buried. We hope to see you there..."

The two birds exited the club, but before they returned to the jungle, they had one last guest to invite.

They flew across the city once again, before arriving at Luiz's garage. They entered the spooky building and called his name.

He emerged from the shadows and charged at them, stopping just in time. "Hey, guys! How you been? What's crackin'?"

"Not so well, man. We came to ask if you could come to a funeral."

"What? A funeral for who?"

"A funeral for Blu. He is dead."

"What! Yous must be joking! That macaw can't be dead! He too cool for that!"

"We are sorry Luiz, but he is. Jewel is organizing the funeral right now."

"Oh man, I'm gonna cry now. I can't believe he dead."

The bulldog began to shed tears, and he began to drool profusely as well.

"Neither can we, but that is the reality. Do you know where the Blu Bird Sanctuary is?"

"Yeah. I t-think so."

"The funeral will be there. Once you get in, look for a crowd of birds in a small clearing. That's where it will be."

"Okay. I will be there. Man, this really sucks..."

The two birds flew off and escaped the garage. They flew high above the city, towards the patch of green that was the Blu Bird Sanctuary. They hoped that the birds from the club would come, for Jewel's sake...

Jewel had toiled for several hours to get everything set up for her mate's burial.

Her children had collected a copious amount of flowers, ranging from the blooms of orchids, to mangoes and even papayas. They even harvested a few large palm flowers.

They had carefully arranged them at the base of the tree they lived in. Vicente had carried Blu's body back from the dark section of the jungle.

Blu now rested peacefully against the trunk of the tree, at the head of the lane of flowers that adorned the clearing. It appeared as if he was merely sleeping.

Jewel found it nearly impossible to look at her mate as she worked. The beautiful design they had created with the flowers seemed like a mockery to the reality of her situation.

Riphate had been unable to help out, since the cold atmosphere had rendered him sluggish and tired.

He was staying in the hollow as a result, and he felt horrible for what he had done, even though it was not his intent.

He had wanted to try and redeem himself to Jewel for what he had accidentally done, but he knew that he may very well never be able to. He oozed over to the entrance and poked his head out, settling down to watch the activity from above.

Just outside, the finishing touches were added to the flowers and the makeshift stage was built. As Jewel glanced around, she noticed that Rafael, Eva, Nico and Pedro had arrived.

They helped the others tidy up, and then they sat and waited for the other birds to arrive. Much to Jewel's surprise, a large number of birds began to trickle in, and they all brought flowers clutched in their talons.

They placed them artfully along with the rest and alighted down in the clearing, which was starting to get quite full.

She made her way through the solemn crowd and approached the canary and cardinal.

"Are these the 'guests' you were going to bring?"

They replied, "Yes, Jewel. We went to The Palm and told them. Kipo is coming too."

"Well, thank you. This is so kind..."

"Don't thank us. Thank them."

Almost half an hour later, Kipo had arrived with his own gift: A small stack of photos from Blu and Jewel's past performances at The Palm. She took them and stashed them away in her hollow.

When she returned, she noticed that Luiz had come as well, and the crowd had grown nervous.

She heard him reassuring them that he was a friendly dog, although his "medical condition" had caused the other birds to move away from him.

Jewel felt that it was time to begin the procession, so she lofted over to the crude stage to the left of the tree. She gazed out at the silent crowd and cleared her throat.

"I assume you have all heard the distressing news that Blu, my mate, has passed on. I do not feel comfortable going into the details, so I ask you to forgive me.

I know now that life will be hard for me and my children, but we must move forward. The past cannot be changed, but the future however, can be changed.

Me and my family will work to change it for the better. Let us take this day to honor the noble macaw known as Blu."

As Jewel continued her speech, it was clear that she was struggling to speak through the tears that had begun to drip from her eyes.

"He was content with his former life in Minnesota, but he agreed to come to Rio to attempt to save his species.

When I first met him, I thought that he was a strange, goofy bird. I was also troubled by the fact that he could not fly.

After we were captured by smugglers, his lack of flight made our escape that much harder. However, escape we did, and we traveled across Rio to remove the chain that the smugglers had joined us with.

During that adventure, I found myself growing more comfortable with Blu, and I grew to admire his true nature: smart, cheerful, and a bit awkward, even.

After we were freed, we had a small argument, and let me just say that we let it all out. I was angered by his take on our situation, and I flew off.

I was captured again by one of the smuggler's birds, and little did I know that I was destined for a plane that would soon take me away for good.

Blu attempted to rescue me, and he was captured as well. After we were taken to a small airport inside of a carnival float, we were loaded onto the plane, and Blu managed to break free from his cage.

We freed the others and fled the plane. However, I realized that Blu still could not fly, and I stayed behind to work out a solution.

Blu was attacked by the evil bird, and I was injured as I tried to help him. Blu took care of the bird, but I fell from the plane.

Blu put aside his own safety and came after me. He caught me, and as we fell towards the ocean, I kissed him. I knew then that Blu would do anything for me, and that is when he flew me to safety.

We then moved here, and after my wing recovered, we had our children. It was a lovely life, while it lasted..."

Jewel took a pause and wiped her face with her wing.

"That is the story of our lives, up until this point.

Recently, a tragic series of events led to his death, instigated by another evil macaw. She is dead now, but we know that her death will not bring my former mate back to life, for that is not the way that life works.

We all will miss him, but he shall live on, in our hearts and minds. This day is one of remembrance for him..."

A few birds in the crowd nodded silently, and a few others began to cry at Jewel's powerful eulogy.

"I thank you all for your choice to come. As this funeral nears its end, take the time to pay respects to my mate, if you wish.

Feel free to leave after that. I thank you all so much..."

Jewel flew down into the crowd, which by now had begun to form into a line that was slowly filing past Blu. The guests took nearly an hour to pay their respects, and after that, some of them had left.

Others had stayed to witness Blu's burial. Jewel had chosen a spot behind the tree, just past the edge of the clearing, to be his resting place.

Now she knew why Luiz had come: He would be the one to dig the grave for them.

After a few minutes of digging amidst the leafy jungle, Blu's body was carefully lowered into the semi-deep hole by her children.

Jewel and her family had covered his body with flowers, and they said their final goodbyes. Luiz solemnly replaced the soft dirt after they finished, trying his best to conceal the grave site.

They re-emerged into the clearing, and Jewel nodded to the flock of birds. They soon dispersed, and the clearing was now nearly empty, save for her family and friends, and a few scattered flowers.

Luiz, the toucans, and Nico and Pedro soon departed as well.

Jewel looked up at the sky, and she noticed the pale glow from the hidden full moon.

Although she could not see the stars, she whispered, "I know you are up there, Blu. You will always be watching over me. _Você sempre estará lá_..."

She returned to her hollow and saw that the others were asleep.

She took out the photos and looked over them a few more times.

She sank down into her nest and joined them in their slumber, her eyes dripping tears as she slept.

Although she was still torn apart inside, she found peace in the fact that her mate's spirit would always be by her side, and that he would look down on her every night from above...


	2. Not Just A Macaw

**Chapter 2: Not Just A Macaw...**

The last sensation Blu felt, of any kind, was the piercing of his skull by two longs fangs.

The venom coursed through his body and corroded his brain.

He watched as his world, his life, and his children faded away like snowflakes in an ocean.

He was plunged into a deep, endless, but strangely calm black void. He wandered through this realm for what seemed to him like forever, not really going anywhere.

_So this is what happens when you die. I never would have guessed. Why is it so calm? Is it an attempt to make the deceased feel as though they are still alive? Hmmm. That being said, am I consigned to this space forever? Will it ever change?_

As if in response, Blu felt a small spark of pain coming from his left eye.

Burning pain soon radiated from his tongue, followed by his talons.

However, when he tried to look down, he saw nothing but the same shade of black.

_I can't even see my own body, but yet I am feeling pain. How is this possible? I am dead._

In that moment, Blu felt as if he was lifted higher and higher out of the black pool. The stinging continued, and he found himself in yet more black, but he could _feel _it somehow.

Blu attempted to move, and to his utter shock, the blackness around him shifted in response. It enveloped him, and it felt soft, yet slightly damp and cold.

_What has happened? How can I feel the blackness? It feels like...earth._

He tried moving some more, and he felt himself move upwards.

_Am I alive? It feels as though I am buried in the earth! I may be able to get out._

He thrashed for several minutes, and he felt his wings push against the substance around him. He slowly worked his way upwards, and he realized that he needed to breath.

He also realized that his heart was beating, although it sounded like it was slower than it should be.

_I-I need to breath! I must be alive! How has this happened? Oh well, that can be sorted out later. I need to get out!_

He gave a final push, and his talons shout out from the earth. His exposed feet soon grew cold as the chilled night air blew around them.

He forced his wings out next, and after bracing them against the hard earth, heaved his body out of his tomb.

He lifted himself up onto his talons and sucked in a lungful of fresh oxygen. Gazing at the ground, he saw a few dirty, crushed flowers strewn in front of him.

"Flwth-wh-ho. Ach-ith strng."

He tried to speak, but something felt strange in his mouth, and only mangled sounds came out.

_Hmmm. That's funny. Why can't I talk right? My mouth feels funny. Maybe that's what happens if you are killed by a snake, and then you somehow get revived!_

He noticed a small barrier of plants as he turned around, and he decided to see what was on the other side.

As he tried to walk, he found it difficult, and he tripped and crashed through the plants. Picking himself up and wiping his chest off, he gazed around at the jungle ahead.

Half of his vision seemed obscured, and he realized that his left eye was sealed shut. He tried to force it open just by using his muscles, but to no avail.

_Why won't my eye open! This is becoming annoying! It is so dark out here, what with the clouds covering the night sky. I can hardly see!_

A small burning sensation flashed in his left eye, and he felt his eyelid slowly peel open. The once dark jungle all around now grew incredibly detailed.

He could see a toucan sleeping in a hollow from across the clearing.

He turned to his left and spied a snake in the distant undergrowth seizing a lizard from a tree trunk.

He turned to his right and noticed a tree full of tasty papayas off in the distance.

However, the most prominent feature he noticed was the large tree that erupted from the middle of the clearing. It looked oddly familiar, and oddly foreign at the same time.

_What is that tree doing here? Why am I feeling drawn towards it?_

He neared the tree and he saw a multitude of flowers neatly arranged at its base.

_Who put these here? Are they for me? Jewel must have organized a-a-funeral for me Wait...this must be our tree!_

He gazed up at its towering branches, and he heard the faint sounds of six hearts beating in a random pattern. _I must go see them!_

He began to spread his wings, but then he stopped. _If they see that I have been resurrected, they won't ever believe it is me. I have to find out what has happened to me, then I will work out how to approach them..._

He rose into flight and headed across the clearing, entering the far side of the jungle in search of a pool of water. He heard a small rushing sound in the distance, and it sounded amazingly clear.

He stroked his wings faster, and soon he was streaking through the jungle like never before. _How am I flying so fast? I don't think I have ever flown this fast! How is this even __physically possible!_

The scenery was reduced to one green blur as Blu heard the rushing sound just off to his right. He made a steep banking turn and skidded to a stop next to a small waterfall, at the base of a short cliff.

The waterfall formed a churning pool, and a hearty stream flowed past a nearby fern. He brushed aside the fern leaf and found himself at the edge of a still pond.

_Finally! Now I can get this dirt off of me, and see what I look like! _Blu waded awkwardly into the pool and tripped once again.

He made a splash as he landed in the water, and he saw small flecks of dirt drift by. He got up and doused water over himself, removing a small amount of dirt in the process.

He rinsed his face last, and he peered down into the water, the faint glow of the moon above reflected in the cold liquid. He jumped back in terror at what he saw, landing on his back a few feet away.

_What the hell is wrong with my eye! It can't be true! I must be hallucinating!_

Shaking, he got up and walked over to the pond once more. He blinked a few times, then he gazed at the silvery water once again.

What the water beamed back at him sent his mind racing. His right eye was normal, but his left eye bore not a round opening, but instead bore a vertical slit for a pupil.

_What! My eye looks so evil! Where have I seen this shape before?_

The last few seconds of his former life flashed before him, and the answer to his question revealed itself.

_M-my eye..is a-a snake's eye! How! Oh my god!_

As he took in this astounding manifestation, he decided to figure out why he was having trouble walking. He extended a talon out over the pale water, and he received yet another shock: the claws on his foot were nearly four inches long, and their ends were curved sharply downwards.

He was so awestruck and confused that he shouted, "What isss going on with me? _O que aconteceu com o meu corpo_? Wait, I can talk! Yesss! Wait...why do I sssound like..."

Blu gazed at the water as he spoke, and something strange emerged from his beak. Whenever he said an "s," a long, forked crimson tongue flicked out.

"Oh my god! My tongue looks jussst like a sssnakesss! How have I become sssuch a freak? How will Jewel react when I decide to approach her! Firssst, I have to convince her that I am alive! Sssecond, I have to tell her that I am not jussst a macaw. I am a macaw and a sssnake combined!"

Blu's mind reeled from the enormity of his coming task. He was beginning to have serious doubts about ever being with his pulchritudinous mate ever again.

"I want to be with her, and yet, how can I? I-I look like sssome ssscience experiment gone awry. Why couldn't I jussst ssstay dead? It would be better for everybody!"

Blu's rage and confusion turned to sadness, and he began to shed tears into the small pool below.

A few feet away, high up in a tree that grew at the base of the cliff, a female Scarlet Macaw was pulled from her sleep by an awful noise.

She turned to her mate and said, "Frank, I hear a *yawn*****noise from down below."

He opened one eye and replied, "It must be...a snake or...something. Can you let me sleep?"

He returned to snooze mode, and she gave a huff of annoyance. The sound continued, and she realized it couldn't be a snake.

She trudged over the edge of the hollow and lowered herself to the ground. The sound grew in intensity as she crept her way through the ferns and bushes, towards its source.

_It sounds like...crying. Who on earth would be out at night like this? It must be pretty bad._

It sounded like it was coming from the pond she used to bathe herself. Just as she reached the source of the mournful noise, she stepped on a stick, and the noise stopped.

She heard a voice whisper, "W-who'sss there?"

She parted the leaves of a fern, and she came upon what looked like a blue macaw sitting next to the pool. He had his back to her, and his face was hidden with his wings.

"Hello. I am Maricela. Who are you?"

He did not turn around, but he replied, "Go away. You don't want to know..."

She was not offended by his remark, and instead she grew more curious as to what his predicament was.

"I heard you from my hollow. You woke me up, and my mate said you were a snake, so I came to investigate."

"Did I? Oh, I am ssso sssorry..."

"Why do you sound so distressed?"

"I don't think you want to find out."

"I only want to help you. I can't do that if you don't tell me what is wrong."

"Okay, fine. My name *****sniff* isss Blu. I wasss dead a few *sniff* hoursss ago, and sssomehow I came back to life. But sssomething happened to me..."

"What! How!"

"I don't know the details myssself. But I usssed to be *sniff* normal. A normal Ssspix's Macaw. A Ssspix's Macaw with a beautiful mate and caring children. Now..."

"Now what?"

"Do you really want to sssee?"

"What could it hurt?"

He lowered his wings and said, "I am sssory for what you are going to sssee..."

He slowly turned around, and she noticed that his left pupil was a spitting image of a snake's eye. However, it did not frighten her. It intrigued her.

"What happened to your eye?"

"How are not disssgusted by it! I look *sniff* like a monster. I wish I had ssstayed dead."

"It is very strange, but it isn't ugly! It's just...different."

"Are you being honessst?"

"Yes. Oh, why are you talking like that?"

"It'sss my tongue. Look."

He held out his tongue, and again it resembled a feature of a snake.

"Wow. That is odd."

"That isss not all. Look at my talonsss."

He held out one foot, and then the other, and his talons looked like miniature scythes.

"So, you are telling me that this happened after you...were revived?"

"Yesss. I died yesssterday, from a sssnake bite. My mate *sniff* had me buried. I had to dig my way out of the ground."

"I never dreamed I would meet someone who had died, and then lived again! It is all so strange."

"I don't know what *sniff* to do. My mate thinksss I am dead. How will I face her? How will I convince her that I am ssstill alive? How will she react when ssshe ssseesss me like thisss?"

She walked up to the blue macaw and placed her multicolored wing on him.

"Hey, everything will be okay. You just need to take this one step at a time. I will help you solve your problem, if you want me to."

"*Sniff* really?"

"Really."

"Oh, thank you. I ssstarted to think that I would never get to be with my mate again. I misss her ssso much..."

"What is her name?"

"My mate'sss name isss Jewel. I have two sssonsss and a daughter."

"I see. Well, why don't you come to my hollow and sleep for the night. I don't want you to have to stay out in the cold all night. We can get started tomorrow."

"That isss a very kind offer. Let'sss go."

Blu lofted into flight and followed the Scarlet Macaw named Maricela back to her hollow.

The warm air inside of Maricela's home actually soothed Blu's emotions somewhat.

He noticed another macaw drowsing in the corner.

She whispered, "That is my mate, Frank. He hates it when he can't sleep."

"Oh. I will be quiet, then."

"You can sleep in my nest. I will sleep with Frank."

"Okay. I thank you for your honesssty and kindnesss. You have helped me feel much better."

"You are welcome, Blu. Good night, and sweet dreams."

Blu watched as she carefully slid into her mate's nest, so as not to wake him.

He soon copied her, and he found himself dozing off quite quickly. His sleep was a peaceful one, comforted by the fact that he had not been shunned by his new friend, and also that he now had a chance to, someday, reunite with his mate and children.


	3. Discussions

**Chapter 3:Discussions**

The next morning, when Maricela awoke, Blu was still asleep, as was her mate. She decided to wake Frank first, so she could introduce him to Blu.

"Hello. Good morning, dear. Time to get up."

"What? Who's there? Oh, its you. Good *****yawn* morning." He creaked his eyes open all the way, and he noticed a blue macaw snoozing across from him.

He noticed that the macaw's talons were incredibly long and sharp. "Who is _that_? Why is he sleeping _here?_"

"I found him last night, out by the bathing pool. He was very sad, so I invited him to sleep here."

"Hmmm. Was he the one making all of that racket? Is it because he was crying, or what?"

"Yes. It is quite a long story, and a near impossible one at that. Maybe I should just show you instead."

She trotted happily over to Blu and nudged him gently. He shuddered visibly, muttering, "J-Jewel? Isss that you? I h-have misssed you..."

"Wake up, Blu. It's Maricela. It's already morning time."

He blinked his eyes open and saw two Scarlet Macaws in front of him.

Suddenly, the male leaped back and plastered himself against the opposite wall. "_Meu Deus! _What are you? Have you seen your left eye!"

Blu felt sorry that he had frightened the other macaw, and he turned away in shame.

"It will take some time to get used to, Frank. I know it looks scary. But please try to accept it, for his sake."

He stilled his nerves slightly, but he was soon bothered by something else: The serpentine tongue that regularly flicked from the macaw's beak.

"I apologize, Frank. But I am ssshocked and confusssed too."

"What _happened _to you?"

Blu gazed pleadingly at Maricela, not feeling up to repeating his tale a second time.

"Blu was killed by a snake a few days ago. He said that he was revived, and he had to escape from the grave that his mate had buried him in. This is how he turned out."

"Oh. I'm guessing that this is one mystery that will never be solved. What are you going to do now, Blu?"

"My mate and children believe that I am dead. Your mate hasss offered to help me think of a way to reunite with them."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I don't know. But with her help, I think it can be done. I want to sssee my mate very badly, and ssshow her that everything isss okay. Well, mossstly okay."

Maricela nodded at him, and he smiled slightly.

"Blu, me and Frank will go gather some breakfast. After we eat, we can get down to business. How does that sound?"

"Yesss. That isss wonderful. Thank you ssso much!"

The two kaleidoscopic macaws lofted from the hollow and faded into the glow of the morning sun, leaving Blu alone once again.

"How on Earth will we work thisss out? I can't think of any sssolutionsss other than flying straight home and trying to explain everything! Jewel jussst might die from the shock. There hasss to be another way..."

Blu sat and brainstormed a plethora of crazy solutions to pass the time. He eventually gave up and walked over to the large oval exit.

He felt his pupils contract against the golden glare. The sights and sounds of the stirring jungle filled his senses like never before.

He concluded that his snake eye had given him exceptional sight capabilities, and his hearing had become superb as well.

As he faced the fiery orb of the faraway sun, he noticed something drawing towards him. The strange silhouette drew steadily closer, and he began to make out its features.

_That bird has azure feathers, a small beak, and cute head feathers. Wait...Jewel? Is that you? Has my angel returned for me?_

He heard a ghostly voice echo in his ears: _Blu. I am back. I brought plenty of food._

Blu smiled uncontrollably at the figure of his mate, but as it drew closer, he heard, "Blu. We are back! We brought plenty of food. Blu! Look out!"

"What the? Ahhh!"

Blu was barreled into by Maricela, and both macaws ended up on their backs.

Various fruits went rolling all over the hollow, and Blu caught sight of a star fruit that rested next to his face.

"I am sorry, Blu! I didn't see you there!"

"No, it wasss my fault! I sssaw you coming, and I imagined that you were Jewel. I wasss entranced!"

She dusted herself off and gathered the scattered, but thankfully unscathed fruit. She piled it in the center of the hollow along with Frank's collection, and she waved for Blu to come over.

"We brought mangoes, papayas, dragon fruit and even a couple star fruit!"

Blu smiled and exclaimed, "I love ssstar fruit!"

He touched one briefly with his forked tongue, judging its freshness.

Frank cringed slightly in response, but thankfully Blu didn't notice.

He clutched it carefully with his left foot, trying not to impale it with his sickle-like talons. Taking a measured bite, he marveled at its flavor.

"This isss ssssome tasssty fruit! It isss sssour and sssweet at the sssame time!"

Maricela replied, "I am glad you like it!"

The three macaws ate their breakfast in content silence.

When they finished, Maricela and Frank used their wings to wipe their faces. They looked on in silence as Blu used his tongue to remove the stains of fruit from his face.

"That wasss delicious! Thank you, for all that you have done for me. I don't know how I will ever repay you..."

"Don't worry, Blu. You won't have to. It is all me and Frank can do to help someone in your...situation."

Blu nodded cheerfully, but then his face grew serious. "How will we come up with a sssolution to my problem? I can't think of anything besssides flying back home and confronting my mate openly."

"Oh, no. You can't do that! There is no telling what she will do! She might lose her mind, or worse, she will attack you for trying to be an impostor!"

"I know. We have to take thisss like you sssaid: One ssstep at a time."

"Frank, do you have any suggestions?"

He thought long and hard for an answer. "Perhaps we can act as ambassadors. We can fly over to your nest in a few days and explain to her what has happened. Maybe we can convince her to believe us. We will have to lead her here after we tell her."

Maricela marveled at the simplicity of her mate's idea. "Keep that one in mind, dear. Let's try to come up with a few more..."

Their brainstorming continued late into the afternoon, and they had come with four possible options, in no particular order.

First, Maricela and Frank would be the ones to go and speak to Jewel about the miracle bestowed upon her mate, and they would try to convince her to come to their hollow as proof.

They had also agreed to try and disguise Blu's new features as much as possible, and then accompany him to his home. After they explained, he would then show up and reveal his new appearance.

The third option involved Maricela and Frank luring Blu's children away, at which point he would show up and explain himself, before moving onto Jewel.

Lastly, they would take Blu's advice and march right up to his home, and explain their guts out.

"Okay, so we have four possible options, some more risky than others. I think we need to carefully consider each idea before we decide on which one to use."

Frank added, "I agree, Maricela. This is a very touchy subject we are dealing with, and if we try to remedy it the wrong way...let's just say, it will not be pretty."

Blu said, "Maybe we ssshould wait until tomorrow, and then take a vote. There are three of usss, ssso there won't be a tie."

Maricela nodded and said, "You took the words right out of my beak, Blu! I think that is the fairest possible way to choose. After the vote, maybe we can combine some aspects of the other solutions with our final pick."

Just then, a rumbling sound emanated from Blu's stomach. "Whoa. That wasss loud! I guesss all of this discusssion has left me hungry!"

Frank glanced out of the hollow, and the sky was painted with a cool orange hue. The sun was only a few hours away from setting as it hovered above the faraway horizon.

"Why don't we go and collect some dinner, Maricela?"

Blu was not about to let them go out this time. They were already being nice enough. It was time to return the favor.

"No. I will go collect the food. You did it thisss morning. Now it isss my turn."

He tromped to the edge of the hollow without tripping, since he was growing more accustomed to walking on his super-long talons.

"If you insist, Blu. But be careful! We don't need you to get into an accident and die a second time!"

"Don't worry, Maricela! I am only going to collect sssome fruit. What could go wrong?"

He launched himself into the warm air of dusk and tore off into the jungle.

The rumbling in his stomach grew louder, and Blu soon found a tree loaded with mangoes. He plucked them as he hovered, and he created a small pile at the base of the tree.

He realized it would take more than one trip to carry them back. He encased a mango in each talon and prepared to lift off, but a nearby noise stopped him.

He released the mangoes and turned to his right. On the trunk of a nearby tree, he spotted a good-sized lizard resting on the bark.

His stomach growled again, and he found himself creeping towards the lizard. His tongue flicked rapidly in and out as he neared his target.

_It feels like the snake inside me has taken over. Why am I suddenly feeling this craving for...meat? It's like I have to have it...and my instincts are controlling me..._

He soon lost his train of thought as his mind focused solely on acquiring the meaty lizard a few feet ahead.

His left eye had opened wide, keeping its gaze locked onto the lizard, just in case it tried to flee.

All of his careful movements were being controlled based on what his snake eye observed, and his right eye had closed as a result.

He drew within striking distance, and he froze instantly. He carefully lifted his left talon, straightening his blade-like claws for the attack.

In one swift strike, he jumped at the lizard, skewering it to the trunk, while his other foot buried its claws into the wood for support.

Blu's shout of joy had an audible hiss buried along with it. "Yesss! I got you! You never had a chance! Now, time to eat sssome deliciousss meat!"

He extracted his left foot from the trunk, but his right foot was buried deep. He grew angry and shouted, "Curssse thessse overly-sssharp clawsss! I hope this doesssn't happen every time!"

He dropped the punctured lizard and braced himself against the trunk. Pushing hard against the trunk, he managed to remove his right foot from the wood.

To his surprise, his foot did not slide out. Instead, it tore loose, causing him to drop to the floor.

A shower of bark and thin strips of wood fell with him. He stood up and noticed that he had gouged out a chunk of the tree.

"Wow! I did that? I mussst be ssstronger than your average bird to do that kind of damage!"

He turned and tore into the lizard, reveling at the taste of the meat. It was like nothing he had ever eaten. "I could get usssed to thisss! I guesss I can officially call myssself an omnivore!"

He devoured the lizard in its entirety, and he quickly licked the blood from around his beak with his wiry tongue.

"Okay, now that I am full, I need to get back to Maricela and Frank. They are probably wondering where I am!"

Returning to the mango pile and clutching one in each talon, he flew like lightning back to the nest. His entry sent a hearty gust of wind into the hollow.

"We were wondering what was keeping you!"

"I had a sssudden urge to eat meat, ssso I caught myssself a lizard! Anywaysss, I collected too many mangoesss for one trip, so let me bring the ressst."

He blasted from the hollow before they could reply, and it took him two more trips to bring the rest of the fruit.

Blu sat and watched as the Scarlet Macaw couple dined happily on the mangoes.

After they were finished, they decided to turn in early and sleep, for they had a very important day planned for tomorrow.

Blu gazed out at the sun, and he saw that its lower edge was dipping beneath the horizon.

As the three macaws climbed into their nests, Blu said, "Good night, you two."

They replied, "Good night, Blu."

They soon drifted off to sleep, feeling anxious about what the next day would bring, but feeling hopeful as well.

They prayed that, whichever solution they chose, all would go well, and Blu would be allowed to live with his family again, in peace.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If you like, you can PM me which of the four options Blu and his friends created you would choose, in order to reunite Blu with his family. Whichever one gets the most votes will be the one that I will develop and implement in the next chapter. Read over them carefully, and PM me soon, guys. It's all up to you! Thanks for your input! ~Wolf Out~**


	4. No Turning Back

**Chapter 4:No Turning Back**

The sun peeked into the hollow of three macaws, casting its warm light upon their faces, and lifting them from the darkness of sleep. After they had fully awoken, they wasted no time in returning to the matter at hand.

After consuming the last of the mangoes from the previous night, they gathered in the middle of their hollow to cast their votes.

"Now is the time when we will decide the means by which we will address your problem, Blu. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Frank, are you ready?"

"Yes, dear."

"Good. I will cast my vote first. I have decided that...we should confront your children first, Blu. Your turn, Frank."

He drew a deep sigh and said, "I think that we should find a way to disguise your eye and talons, Blu, and then head to your nest. It is there that you will reveal yourself to your mate."

Blu felt the other two macaws staring at him, and he knew in his mind which choice had won, before he even said it.

He flicked his tongue out and declared, "I have chosssen to approach my children firssst. They will be ssslightly more flexible in their emotionsss when I ssshow them that I am their father, and that I am indeed alive..."

Maricela nodded and said, "Then it is settled. Your children will be the first to know that you have been revived. After we convince them, we will move onto your mate. Having their trust on the matter should ease Jewel's shock."

Blu replied, "That isss fine. Now we need to work out the detailsss of the meeting."

"Yes. First, we need to arrange it. After we iron out the details, me and Frank will scout out your nest. We will wait and see if we can catch your children away from the nest. Did they often leave when you lived with them?"

"Sssometimesss, Maricela. They would often go out to gather our breakfassst. If they got messsy from eating, I would tell them to go clean up in the sssmall pool near the edge of the sssanctuary.

Thossse are probably the only timesss they would be alone. If we hurry, you might be able to catch them cleaning themselves at the pool."

"We will try to finish as soon as possible. We can't rush into this. Now, how did you spend your days with them?"

"Me and Jewel usssually took them to the city to explore and visssit old friendsss. With today being ssso nice, I am worried that we will misss them, and then we would have to wait until tomorrow."

"Hmmm. That shouldn't be a concern. It's not like they are going to just disappear, Blu."

"I know. It's jussst that...I want to get back to my family. The longer I am away from them, the more lossst I feel."

"I understand. Well, I think that we have all of this figured out. However, I think that we can add my mate's choice to our plan. We will go find you some leaves to cover your eye and your talons before we leave."

"Okay. That isss a good idea. We have to take things ssslowly."

"I think it is time to put this plan into action. We will be right back with the leaves. We will put them on you, but then you will have to show us where the pool is."

"No problem. Jussst hurry!"

The two Scarlet Macaws jetted from the port and into the morning light.

Blu paced around in anxious silence for several minutes.

The two macaws returned with leaves of all sizes and spread them out on the floor. They selected a fern leaf to be used as an eye patch of sorts.

They had carefully tied a small vine to each end to serve as the strap. They fastened it snugly to Blu's head, and it concealed his eye nicely.

After a few seconds, he felt his eye close automatically, since it was cut off from its view of the outside world. Now he didn't have to deal with the sensation of the damp leaf touching his eye directly.

Maricela and Frank stepped back to look at their handiwork. "That is a nice fit! It should work very well."

"Thanksss, you two! It feelsss perfect!"

"You are welcome. Now, let's get those crazy feet of yours wrapped up!"

They each worked on one of his talons, carefully wrapping a section of a palm leaf around each foot.

After they made sure that his claws had not ripped through the leaves, they fastened them securely to his ankles with more small lengths of vine.

"There you go! Now you are all wrapped up!"

Blu gazed at his feet, and he couldn't help but smile at how funny they looked!

"My feet remind me of the ssslippersss that my owner, Linda, wearsss!"

Frank queried, "What are slippers?"

"They are thingsss that humansss put on their feet to keep them warm."

"I still don't understand. I will have to see them for myself before I do."

"Can we go now? It isss almost midday! We can't wait any longer!"

Maricela replied, "Of course, Blu. No more idle chat, Frank. Let's get moving!"

The three macaws exited the tree and tore through the jungle. Blu led them on a northeasterly direction, and they continued flying for several minutes.

Blu's superb hearing soon picked up a familiar bubbling sound. "The pool is clossse! But I don't hear anything besssides the water bubbling up. I think we are too late..."

They lighted down on the soggy ground, and Blu entered the small space that held the pool. He whispered, "Nobody isss here. I don't sssee any claw marksss. Looksss like we will have to possstpone our plan until tomorrow..."

Meanwhile, just outside the small barrier of plants, Frank noticed three blue specks emerging from the jungle some distance away. He turned to his mate and asked, "How many children does Blu have?"

"Uh, three. Why?"

He pointed at the three enlarging specks and said, "Look."

She counted three blue shapes, and her heart soared with joy.

She rushed through the screen of plants to Blu's side and exclaimed, "Blu! Your children are coming! They just appeared from the jungle far ahead. You have to fly back to our nest! We will meet you there in no less than half an hour."

His normal eye grew wide with anticipation. "Really? Okay, I will go! Do your bessst to convince them that I am alive!"

"I promise to do just that. Now hurry, before they see you!"

He nodded and slipped into the dense undergrowth, taking off like a rocket.

The two macaws concealed themselves as best they could behind a fern at the rear of the pool.

They soon heard three separate voices, and then they watched as three macaws crept into the pool and began to wash themselves off.

After they finished, Maricela and Frank both knew it was time to make their move.

Just as they shook themselves dry, the two macaws parted the fern leaves and said, "Hello! How are you three?"

The three macaws turned around and gave them questioning looks. The female asked, "How did you know we were here? Were you spying on us?"

"No. We just came to clean ourselves up as well. We arrived here after you did."

One of the males said, "Oh. Okay, then. Go ahead. We are going back home now. Bye."

Just before they lifted off, Frank said, "Wait. We want to tell you something!"

"What is it? We don't even know you two!"

"I know. But we heard about the passing of your father. We weren't at the funeral, but some of our friends told us about it. We are deeply sorry."

The three macaws just stared at the ground.

The other male whispered, "Thank you. We miss him very much. So does our mother. She used to be so lively, and now..."

Drawing a deep breath, Maricela said, "What would you do if we told you that...your father...is alive."

One male shouted, "What did you say? How could our father be alive? We had him _buried_! You are a liar!"

The female began crying, and she muttered, "Who are you? Is that some kind of sick joke! How could you say such a horrible thing..."

Their outbursts made them feel a little guilty for causing them distress, but they knew it was inevitable.

"We may sound like complete lunatics, but if you want proof, you should come with us..."

"You got that right! What do you say, sister? Should we go with them?"

"I *sniff* guess. We could *sniff* prove them wrong, instead of proving them right..."

The two macaws' hearts gave thumps of joy at their response. "We can show you the way. Follow us."

Two colorful macaws rose into flight, trailed by three solid blue ones. Retracing their flight path, they soon arrived at their cliff-side nest.

They alighted at the base of the tree, and Maricela turned to face Blu's children.

"You may be astounded by what you are about to witness up there, in our hollow. But we assure you that your father is fine. Well, mostly fine. Whenever you are ready, we will take you to meet him."

"Are you sure about this, guys?"

"I guess. They are just putting on a show to make us feel bad. There's nothing in that hollow. We may as well go."

"Very well. Prepare yourselves..."

The two macaws soared up to the hollow and alighted inside. They motioned for Blu to turn around and face his back towards them.

Maricela peered out of the exit and called out, "Come on, you three. What are you waiting for?"

The two macaws stepped back to make space for Blu's children.

As they entered, they laid eyes on a strange sight: A blue macaw was hiding in the opposite corner, but something seemed odd about him.

His feet were wrapped in some leaves, and he had what looked like another leaf tied to his head.

"Who is that? It's just another Spix's Macaw. He's just a fake!"

Blu heard Esperanza's sharp words, and he whirled around in response.

"No. I am not a fake. I have misssed you, _meusss filhosss_. I never knew that thisss day would come..."

The tone of his voice, coupled with the chocolate hue of his eye, caused their hearts to literally skip a beat.

They could hardly speak, and Vicente croaked, "F-father? Is it really y-you?"

"Of courssse. I would never tell a lie over sssomething like thisss."

He walked up to his children and hugged them all at once. "I want you to lisssten. I don't know how I wasss revived, but that doesss not matter. I want to ssshow you sssomething..."

He drew back slightly and motioned for Maricela to remove his leaf slippers. She tore the vines loose and the leaves fell away.

"Oh my god! What happened to your claws?"

"I have no idea. But, there isss sssomething else. My tongue isssn't normal, either."

He flicked his tongue out repeatedly, and his children cringed. "That isss why I sssound ssso funny. My tongue isss a sssnake'sss tongue."

"W-why is your eye c-covered, father?"

"Good quessstion, Ricardo. Here isss the anssswer."

He reached up with his right foot and tore the leaf loose. His eye was closed, but then his eyelids peeled apart to reveal a fearsome looking orb with a vertical slit down the middle.

"My eye isss alssso modeled after a sssnake eye. This isss how it hasss been ever sssince I dug my way out of the grave. I know it isss a lot to take in, but at leassst I am alive and well."

Despite his sinister features, his children couldn't resist hugging him tightly. "It doesn't matter how you look, father. All that matters is that you love us, and we love you."

"Thank you. Why wasss I blesssed with sssuch wonderful children!"

He glanced up at Maricela and she flashed a wide smile.

"Oh, I almossst forgot. Children, why don't you introduce yourssselvesss to my friendsss. They are the onesss who made all of thisss posssible!"

They withdrew from their father and gazed happily at the two macaws.

"I am Vicente." "I am Esperanza." "My name is Ricardo."

Maricela replied, "Nice to meet you! I am Maricela, and this is my mate, Frank."

Blu's children all took turns shaking talons with the two macaws.

Vicente said, "How will we ever repay you for what you have done? This is one of the greatest moments of our lives..."

Maricela shook her head and replied, "You do not have to repay us. The joy we experienced from this reunion far outweighs the effort it took to make it happen. Seeing such a happy family back together makes me wish I had one of my own..."

She gave a serious glance at her mate as she finished speaking, hoping he would get the hint.

Blu said, "I cannot thank you enough for all of your help. Now, all we have to do isss approach my mate. I have a feeling it will not be easssy..."

Frank declared, "We can go whenever you like, Blu. You have your children to back you up. That should help considerably."

"You're right. After thisss isss all over, you two can come by and visssit anytime you want. You are now my official friendsss!"

Maricela replied, "That is a very kind offer, Blu. We accept!"

Blu's children then asked, "When are we going to see Mama?"

"I don't sssee any reassson why we ssshould put it off any longer. What do you sssay, Maricela?"

"If you want to go now, then so be it."

The six macaws filed out of the hollow, with Blu and his children in the lead. As they glided through the clear afternoon sky, their stomachs were churning with anticipation, joy, and shreds of fear as well.

They weren't too sure about how Jewel would react, and Blu was the most disturbed of them all.

_What if she doesn't believe me? What if she flies away in sadness, or attacks me for trying to pose as her mate? We have to choose their words carefully, or this will be a disaster unlike any other..._


	5. Words Cannot Express

**Chapter 5:Words Cannot Express**

The six macaws flew just above the canopy and hovered, while Blu scanned the vast sea of green beneath him. He spotted the ever-so-familiar clearing off to the south.

"There it isss. Thisss isss it, guys. There isssn't a better time to pray than right now." Blu performed a steep dive, and the small clearing suddenly grew much larger.

They landed in the undergrowth just past the border.

Maricela faced Blu directly and declared, "Here's the plan of action: Me, my mate, and your children are going to fly over to your nest. Me and Frank will go in first and tell Jewel what has occurred. If she doesn't believe us, your children will come in and tell her as well. Then, my mate will give a signal for you to come over. Got it?"

"Yesss. Wait, don't you think you ssshould cover me up again? We forgot to put the leavesss back on at your nessst!"

"Wow. How did we overlook that? No matter. We will be back shortly. Stay hidden."

Blu and his children nodded placidly and watched as they disappeared into the undergrowth.

"Are you scared, Papa?"

"To tell you the truth, Ricardo, yesss. I am afraid that ssshe will attack me, without even bothering to let me explain. I think ssshe is going to lossse it when I ssshow her my true appearance, if not before."

Not another word was said until the two macaws returned with the leaves. They carefully re-applied them once more to Blu's face and feet.

"That should do, Blu. Are you ready to see your mate?"

"Not really."

"Good, because you are going to meet her anyways. Wait for Frank to stick his head out and wave his wing, okay?"

"Okay. Let'sss jussst get thisss over with. Go."

Maricela and Frank entered the clearing first and flew straight to the hollow. Blu's children followed close behind, but they alighted at the base of the tree instead.

The two macaws perched on the edge of the hollow, and as they slowly peered around the corner, they caught sight of a lone female macaw...

Jewel had been left alone in the hollow for several hours, for Riphate had gone out to explore the jungle and hunt, and her father had left soon after the snake to explore the city.

She was deeply worried about her children, since they had not yet returned from their morning bath.

_First, my mate is taken away from me, and now my children are gone. What next? Am I going to be the next victim?_

So lost was Jewel in her metal monologue that she did not notice the two macaws standing at the entrance.

"Um, hello? Is your name Jewel?"

She whirled around and laid eyes on two colorful macaws.

"Yes. Do I know you?"

"No. But you will very soon. My name is Maricela, and this is my mate, Frank."

_What could she mean by that? I hope she isn't another Valentina..._

"Nice to meet you. But, why are you here?"

"Frank and I heard some news about the passing of your mate. We can't imagine the sadness you must feel. We are so sorry."

At the sound of her handsome mate's name, she began to cry. "T-thank you. It Is true. Ever since that day, I have felt like half of my soul was ripped out and obliterated. I would do anything to bring him back...t_udo e qualquer coisa_..."

Frank replied, "What if you didn't have to do anything? What if he could come back to you...right now?"

Jewel could not believe what she had heard. Was this Frank trying to torment her on purpose?

"What did you say? Are you playing mind games with me? Is this a joke you play on parents who have lost their mates?"

"No. It is true! We can prove it!"

"_O inferno que você é!_"

She advanced towards the two macaws, no longer feeling sad, but furious. "Get...out...now! If you don't, you will deeply regret it!"

Down below, the three macaws heard their mother's angry shouts. Vicente said, "Uh-oh. I think we better get up there, and quick!"

They lifted off and quickly reached the entrance to the hollow. They saw Maricela and Frank backing away from Jewel in submission.

They immediately swooped in and planted themselves in front of the Scarlet Macaws.

"What are you-oh, now you show up! Where have you three been? I was worried sick!"

Jewel had tried to suppress her rage, but they still noticed it in the tone of her voice.

"We were cleaning ourselves off like you told us to, and then these two macaws showed up. They said that our father was alive!"

"Oh, so you are in on this too? If you don't watch your beaks, you are going to be in _so_much trouble. How could you say something so...so... disrespectful..."

"Please listen, Mama! We saw him with our own eyes! He is...just fine!"

"That's it! I have had it with this sick nonsense!"

She looked past her children and pierced the macaws with her gaze. "You two need to leave! That's right! Fly away, you twisted parrot!"

Frank ignored her remark and rushed over to the entrance. He poked his head out and quickly waved his right wing.

Only a few seconds passed before he saw a blue streak explode from the jungle ahead.

He quickly rushed back in and whispered to his mate, "Blu is on the way. It's almost over."

"I hope you like the feel of my claws in your skin!" Jewel extended her right foot and lunged at the female.

She felt a rush of wind, and a loud plea echoed in her ears: "Jewel! Ssstop!"

She was unable to react, and she felt her talons scrape flesh. When she adjusted her gaze, it was not a red macaw that stood in front of her. It was a blue one.

She watched as a small leaf drifted down from the blue macaw's face, and she noticed three parallel scratches running across his closed left eye.

"Jewel. It'sss...me, Blu. Your mate."

She refused to listen. This was just some cheap look-alike, conscripted by those two macaws to plague her and spite her. Despite her anger, she began to cry once more.

"No, no, no. _Você está mentindo. _Please, just leave! And take your twisted friends with you..."

"It'sss really me! Please lisssten, my dear. Everything isss okay!"

"No...it's not! Blu is dead! _Eu disse saia_!" Jewel made a powerful lunge at the impostor and knocked him into the wall. She drew her talon back, and this time, her target was his throat...

Blu was knocked into the wall by his clueless mate, and he suddenly felt a strange sensation pass over him. He felt lost in his own body as his snake instincts took over once again.

His left eyelid peeled apart, causing the trio of scratches to bleed. His right eye closed automatically, and his snake eye fixed its gaze on Jewel.

She merely screamed in terror and made a swipe for his throat. Blu did not flinch or react in any way, except to hiss the word, "Ssstop."

Blu's snake eye opened wide at the command, and Jewel froze mid-swipe. "Now sssleep."

The space between Blu and Jewel seemed to ripple, as if an unseen energy was passing between them.

Jewel's wings drooped to the ground, and her eyes closed methodically. Within seconds, Jewel had been rendered unconscious by Blu, and she now lay slumped on the floor of the hollow.

Blu felt himself regain control of his soul, and his snake eye constricted back down to a thin slit.

"What did you...just do, Blu?"

"I don't k-know, Maricela. It wasssn't me. It wasss my sssnake inssstinctsss. They took over my body. I acted in ssself-defenssse..."

"What do we do now, Papa? Is she...dead?"

"No, daughter. She isss fine. She is jussst sssleeping. We will have to wait until ssshe wakes up."

Blu turned to the two macaws and said, "You can go home now. I think I can take care of thisss from here."

"Of course, Blu. We hope you and Jewel's lives will return to normal. We will see you later. If you ever need us, you know where to find us."

The two macaws flew off without another word.

Blu proceeded to tear the leaf wraps from his feet and cradle Jewel in his super-long talons. He gently moved his sleeping mate to their nest and laid her down amidst the soft moss.

He turned to his children and said, "You can go out, if you like. I need sssome alone time with your mother." They merely nodded and disappeared from the hollow.

Blu turned back to his snoozing mate, and he marveled at her beauty. He stroked her chest gently and whispered, "I forgive you, Jewel. I hope you will forgive me as well. I vow to never leave your ssside ever again. _Durma bem, meu anjo_. I will sssee you when you wake up..."

He settled down next to her, watching her chest steadily rise and fall. The undulating rhythm soothed him and helped pass the time to her awakening, and the moment when they would re-establish their battered bonds of love.

"Jewel? Are you up? It'sss me, Blu. I am here for you..."

Jewel heard a soft murmur resounding in her dream, and she recognized its tone. _Blu? Is it really you? How can I be sure? You were...dead. But, your eye..._

Blu heard Jewel whispering in her sleep, and he decided to reply, since she was somehow hearing him in her dreams.

"I wasss dead. But now, I am not. Riphate'sss venom killed me, but then, it worked in reverssse. I wasss revived, and I dug myssself out of the grave. The esssence of the sssnake became a part of me.

That isss what gave me my new featuresss: The eye and tongue of a ssserpent, and my claws mirrored sssnake fangsss. I know it isss frightening, and I hope you ssstill love me. My love for you hasssn't changed...and it never will."

_So that explains it. I am sorry for attacking you. I just couldn't understand how you could possibly be alive. But don't worry. No matter how you look on the outside,I will always hold a piece of your heart, Blu. I will love you...forever and ever. And that is final._

A few seconds later, the black void of her dream melted away, and a world of soft colors drained into place. She noticed a blue figure sitting next to her, and she gazed up at him drowsily.

"Hello, sssleepy head. I misssed you. How wasss your dream?"

"It was okay. Why does my head feel funny? It feels like something was erased."

"When you attacked me, my sssnake inssstinctsss took over, and I put you to sssleep in ssself defenssse. I think it erasssed part of your memory, too. I couldn't control it."

"Oh. Well *yawn* it's okay. Now I realize that it's actually you. Words cannot express what I am feeling right now. You were only gone for a few days, and yet, I just gave up all hope.

As far as I was concerned, I may as well have been in that grave with you. I guess whoever said, "_Você não sabe que você tem, até que ele se foi _knew what they were talking about."

"Thossse are wissse words, my angel."

Jewel lifted herself from the comfy nest and stood in front of her mate. She peered deep into his normal eye, and she saw the reflections of an honest, brave, caring soul. She peered into his other eye just the same, and she still saw the same soul reflected there as well.

"Keep calling me 'angel' too much longer, and that may as well be my new name."

"I can't help it. I can think of no better word to dessscribe you, Jewel."

He gazed at her chest, and he noticed that the wound Valentina had inflicted had since healed over. In that one spot, a small tuft of feathers sprouted, and they reminded him of the feathers behind her head.

"I know, Blu. I don't mind. I enjoy being flattered, especially by someone as...handsome as you..."

She now stood face to face with him, and before he could reply, she melted him with a sensual kiss.

"See? I can return the favor...anytime I want. Do you mind?"

Blu breathed a heavy sigh and replied, "Not...at...all. How about one more?"

She leaned into him again, causing his transformed heart to thud in his chest.

"You know what, Blu?"

"What, my lovely mate?"

"I have a proposition for you."

"What isss that?"

She paused her train of thought and gazed at his wiry tongue as it darted in and out of his beak. The way he talked because of it sent shivers down her spine. To her, it wasn't strange. It was a sign that he had changed, and yet he had not. She admired that logical conflict.

"Do you realize that our children are nearly old enough to leave the nest?"

"Uh, not really. I have been busssy with other thingsss. You know, like being _dead_."

He pointedly focused his snake eye on her, widening his pupil like a pair of sliding doors.

"Point well made, serpent boy. But, my proposition is this: Why don't we celebrate your revival with a little...romance? It has been quite a while since we have...indulged ourselves."

He instantly narrowed his pupil and stared at her. "Do you mean..."

"Exactly. It couldn't hurt. _Só você e eu, sozinha, em uma noite quente do Rio..._"

Blu felt butterflies begin to dance in his stomach. "Uh, I don't know, Jewel. Maybe we ssshould wait until our children have _actually _left before we... and then you..."

"Nonsense. There is no better time to do this, Blu. We have already been through this once. How _bad_ could _one more time _be? Or should I say, how _good_..."

She began stroking his neck with her left wing, while she placed her right wing on his back. He began to get nervous, but something inside him was telling him to give in.

It was as though he had a tiny angel on one shoulder, and a tiny demon on the other, and they were arguing back and forth, each trying to win his mind over.

"Are you sssure you are up to it? I mean, I jussst don't want you russshing into it."

"Of course, Blu. It's like we get to live part of our lives all over again. I want that."

"I ssstill think we ssshould-"

She silenced him with a third alluring kiss, and he knew that he couldn't resist. He loved her too much, and if this is what she wanted, then he wouldn't deny her.

"_Se você perguntar, então você deve receber_, my angel..."

The passion that was ignited in their nest flooded the hollow and spilled down onto the clearing, their own private, invisible waterfall of love...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, this is the wrap up chaper for this story. (I was up until 1:45 A.M. writing/uploading/editing it.) I decided to add this chapter here, instead of using it as the first chapter of my next piece. Pretty nice cliffhanger, huh? I am addicted to those, I guess! Anyways, please review, and be honest! I should have my next story up sometime today. Thanks for the feedback! Until next time... ~Wolf Out~**


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